[heavyharmonies]

I'm at the front end of investigating replacing the windows in my house. Since I'm having to finance a roof replacement anyway, I figure that this would be a good time to replace the windows and avail myself of the 30% tax credit on materials.

The contractor that is doing my roof also does windows and siding, so I figured I'd start the process by having him give me an estimate. I'll get others before deciding, but it's a good starting point.

He says he has been using "RBS Performance Plus", which apparently is the house brand (for lack of a better term) for Richard's Supply, a supply chain here in the midwest.

From what little research I've done, apparently it's not uncommon for there to be regional brands of windows as opposed to national (Pella, Simonton, etc.)? What should I be looking for when trying to compare vinyl replacement windows in the same cost range?

Has anyone used these?

Here is a link to the brochure PDF at Richards: http://www.richards-supply.com/Proof.pdf

In a nutshell (not sure how many of these are relevant and how many are marketing):

Double-pane
Low E with Argon gas
Foam-filled frame
15-year glass warranty
Energy Star Rated
NFRC Certified

U-Value: 0.30
SHGC: 0.29

I will admit that not only am I a novice when it comes to this information, but I am cynical and paranoid when it comes to the whole window industry. About 8 years ago I investigated having the windows done, and the dog-and-pony, song-and-dance, high-pressure sales pitch that these carnies, err... "salesmen" engage in is downright offensive. I am loathing the prospect of soliciting bids for this work and having to endure the sales process.

Any advice/recommendations would be appreciated. Regionwise, I'm located in central Illinois, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wrangler]

It looks like a decent window from the literature and I also noticed that they use constant force balances, which is also good. As far as pricing, that is hard to say, but if it fits your budget and your satisfied with it, then it may be the route to go since you already have a contrctor that you apparently trust to work on your home.

 

[cabinetman]

About a year ago I replaced 21 windows with American Craftsman from HD. They were single hung vinyl with all the goodies you mentioned:
Double-pane
Low E with Argon gas
Foam-filled frame
15-year glass warranty
Energy Star Rated
NFRC Certified

And tinted

They were easy to install. They were not that expensive. The largest - 51"H x 50"W was about $165. No extra upcharge for custom sizes. The vinyl windows don't transfer heat or cold like metal framed windows.
.

 

[heavyharmonies]

And tinted

That begs the question - how prevalent/available is tinting in replacement windows?

I have a large picture window, roughly 71" W x 60" H. It faces due west, so the glare coming in during the late afternoon and evening is just horrendous. Due to the way I have things set up inside, my computer desk sits right in front of this window. I currently have hanging blinds in front of the window, but I'm not a fan of this setup since I can't see out of the window.

I want to see out, but I'd prefer that people cannot see in. If I had my druthers, I'd change the window to a one-way mirror ala a police interrogation room. Is there such a thing as non-mirrored one-way or opaque glass for such a purpose?

 

[cabinetman]

A film can be added to the glass. The downside is that most of those films work one way at a time. Whichever side that there is more light is where it provides vision. At night, seeing in may be a problem.

​

 

[rickwesh]

Extra large and very old

I'm doing some work on a very large room in a building that is very old. There are two windows at the front of the room that measure 10' x 5'11".

These are single pane panels with aluminum framing.

The wood around the windows is 2x6 and rotting enough that if you took a run at it and threw a feather they might just fall out.

Each window bay has two panes of glass each being approx. 56" in length.

Anyway I've been searching for any info about the best way to remove these. The person wants to retain the glass (Uh ya) and reuse them on new framing.

I have thought about placing some boarding or something on the outside to retain the framing and glass while I removing the retaining hardware on the frames.

Any thoughts?

 

[rickwesh]

I started a seperate thread for this project. Sorry if I displaced any conversation in this thread!

 

[oswegotom]

How'd it turn out?

Heavyharmonies - It so happens I am looking to get replacement windows too and am looking at the RBS windows. I'm curious if you went with them and, if so, how you like them. If not, what did you go with?

Appreciate any response... I too am not exactly thrilled or trusting since our original windows just have not held up well in this midwest climate... and I've already had one hard-sell pitch from a different vendor.

 

[Tom Struble]

A film can be added to the glass. The downside is that most of those films work one way at a time. Whichever side that there is more light is where it provides vision. At night, seeing in may be a problem.

applied films will usually void the window warranty